pomarium closeup

Spring branches

I was very productive today: I have finished the spring branch I have started yesterday, and also added the little leafs into the triangles.

Chatelaine: Pomarium

Fonal/Floss: DMC + many silks as suggested in the kit

Anyag/Fabric: Zweigart antique white 32 ct Belfast

First I tried to make a photo with my phone, but the colors were awfully off, moreover, the blogger sharing was not working. I am contemplating to buy a new phone, but apart from the photo part I have no problems with mine, so most probably I will not change it. Now I am using my tablet what I rarely use, but seeing how much better photos are taken I suppose I will change my habits...

Happenings

I was away for a time, in January we had many family celebrations (birthdays, namedays), we went for skiing for a couple of days, and the weeks simply flew away. I also red a lot, and started doing more sports - this is the 3rd round of monthly membership to a gym which was opened next to us.
Actually it was opened at least 2 years ago, and I was looking at it every day several times, but I never managed to enter. However, my son stopped his judo training during which I did my weekly jogging, and he took up tennis. And there is no joggingplace next to the tennis court, and in the winter I could not force myself to move, so I tried this gym. And I realised I like it - actually I like it a lot. It is a very small place, there is only one personal trainer and maximum 2 clients, and one session takes 30 minutes. There is also a machine called power plate, which is a kind of vibrating platform and supposedly makes miracles. I do not know about miracles, but I do break sweat, and I do feel siff ( in a good way) after each session, and since it is only 30 minutes when I start to get bored I always realise there is only a few minutes left, so I happily move forward. I usually go there 2-3 times a week, so my evenings are quite full.

However, stitchingwise I worked a little on Pomarium. I finished a corner and some triangles at the border, which is not a lot, but I am content with this -slowly but steadily I am moving.

Wrap up 2018, goals for 2019

At the beginning if the new year it is good to look back and see how many things I did accomplish, and I am using my last year closing post to see how this year differed from last. Work was easier this year, but in the summer we renovated our flat - everything was painted, and since everything had to be moved for the workmen, I also made a huge decluttering. It took almost 2 months, but definitely  did worth the effort! I feel much better, but the time spent on renovation was not spent on stitching. However there was also a 100 days challange for cross stitching, which brought back a lot. The net result is still unclear also for me, but by the end of the post I will be also cleverer :).

6 Quilts (last year 9):

• Wallhanging for my niece
• Recliner cover
• I spyfor my nephew
• Universe is yours - baby quilt for my colleague's baby boy
• Storm at Sea for my godmother
• Little Fish - scrappy quilt for the living room

Bags&purses (last year none):

• a tote to try
• 2 purses for the teachers at yearend

2 major cross stitch finish (last year 2 smalls):

• Chatelaine Winter Watergarden
• Chatelaine Octopus Treasure Cave 

Almost finishes

• Around the World in 80 stitches - I call it done, and I will make a box cover
• Yoko Saito Strolling Along Path of Green - quilt top done

Seeing the list it is quite impressive for me, lightly less quilts but significantly more cross stitch, and bags are my new feature :)

WIP

• Round the Year by betukbandi - WIP
• Pomarium by Chatelaine: I have started at the end of 2016, moving along in the 2nd half during the year
• Heirloom Nativity Sampler by Victoria Sampler

What did I planned last year? nothing major, therefore I mostly managed them all :)

In 2018 I would like to finish Winter Watergarden - done
start one or two Chatelaines, depending on my stitching bug's behaviour - none

sew a bedcover for my godmother -done
some smaller ones for friends and family - done

What do I plan for this year? 
Nothing stressful, having fun is the key, but I would like to improve as well in bagmaking. I am contemplating doing a sewing course in the summer, but it takes 4-6 weeks, and I am not sure I am willing to invest so much time

• Cross stitch:
• Work on Pomarium by Chatelaine
• Start Mushroom Fern or Autumn Watergarden (or both) by Chatelaine
• Finish Heirloom Nativity Sampler by Victoria Sampler
• Quilt:
• Round the Year by betukbandi 
• quilt Yoko Saito Strolling Along Path of Green
• try to use all of my quilting supplies (special feet and all the fancy stuff I bought)
• Other sewing
• finish Around the World in 80 stitches box
• totes: some nice totes for myself and the family, which also serves as a stash buster of my non-quilting fabric. I have bought some fun prints in IKEA with totes in my mind, and I would like to try at least 3 types to find the perfect one
• miscellaneous sewing thingie holder
• a standing one for my cutting mat
• one next to the sewing machine

Pomarium

I have continued my Pomarium. It goes real slow, but I am trying to move forward if only in baby steps. Apricot is ready, next is Quince, but maybe I will change to the border, it is quicker then the confetti tree.

Chatelaine: Pomarium

Fonal/Floss: DMC + many silks as suggested in the kit

Anyag/Fabric: Zweigart antique white 32 ct Belfast

Tote Bag Making - version 1

I made a promise to myself to learn to make nice totes, because I cannot fine any I really like. 

I do not want anything fancy, just some simple big bag which stands on its own. I have selected a few patterns a few weeks back, and the first is ready. I am partially content - proud for me that I can sew such a bag, but the result is far from perfect. I want a significantly bigger and sturdier one, but for a first try it passes. The pattern was created by the renegade seamstress, and was a little confusing for me, but it could be that it is my fault since it is my first attempt of making a bag alone. A few years back I attended a bag making workshop, but that was a long time ago...

renegade-tote-bag-tutorial

Octopus framed

I realised that I did not posted a finish on the Octopus Treasure Cave. It is extremely hard to make a photo which gives back the beautiful colors in the finish, but I tried my best. The second photo is more realistic in the fabric an for the greens.

Chatelaine: Octopus Tresure Cave

Fonal/Floss: DMC + many silks as suggested in the kit

Anyag/Fabric: Zweigart hand dyed 32 ct Belfast by Barbaral